The push for gender-neutral pronouns (they/them/ze) and inclusive language originated within trans and non-binary circles and has since permeated mainstream corporate and social environments.

"They want us to be afraid," he said. "They want us to disappear. But here’s the thing about this community—we’ve been disappearing our whole lives. We’ve hidden in closets and in corners and in the margins of yearbook photos. And we are still here."

While visibility has increased LGB acceptance, visibility for trans people—especially trans women of color—can be dangerous. The "trans tipping point" in media (around 2014-2016) brought awareness, but it also sparked a violent backlash. Trans people face staggering rates of violent crime, housing discrimination, and employment bias that outpace their LGB cisgender counterparts.

This has changed the etiquette of queer spaces. Pronouns in email signatures, binders and packers on display at pride, and the normalization of gender-neutral bathrooms are now baseline expectations for many young queers. This intergenerational tension—between older gay men who fought for "gay rights" and young trans people demanding "gender liberation"—is the central drama of modern LGBTQ culture.